
France has stepped up support for Anne Lauvergeon as the potential new chairwoman of EADS , injecting fresh uncertainty into efforts to free the European aerospace group’s top management from state interference.
Finance minister Pierre Moscovici said the former head of nuclear power group Areva could play a “major role” in Airbus owner EADS, where she is due to represent French government interests alongside former European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet.
“She will be at EADS as a board member: that is already decided because the the (French) state can nominate two people and has chosen Anne Lauvergeon and Jean-Claude Trichet,” Moscovici told France Info radio.
“Let us respect the governance structures of the company ... but it seems to me that she has all the necessary qualities to play a major role at EADS in view of her energy and industrial competence.”
The comments come just seven weeks after France and Germany struck a deal to rebalance their stakes in EADS while freeing the company’s management from day-to-day interference.
EADS declined to comment on Moscovici’s remarks, but analysts said they would test the solidity of the new shareholder agreements on two fronts.